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beach bumming on the Atlantic coast

Hello again, Atlantic Ocean! 

It's a good, balmy day to hit the beach. But when I saw how strong the waves were, I decided I wasn't brave enough to step into the wet sand. The strong tide reminded me of a nugget of wisdom given by my tour guide in O'ahu last year: if you don't want to get swept by the tide, stay on the dry sand.


No wonder there weren't any swimmers in the water... and the beach wasn't peppered by people sun-bathing or walking. A strange sight because I'm used to seeing beaches with people, even in winter. But what the beach lacked in people, it sufficed with wildlife. No, I didn't spot many birds (not like in O'ahu) but I was able to see crabs in the sand.


When the haze cleared up a bit, I noticed a man sitting by the beach, seemingly deep in thought.


And I also spotted fish being dried right on the beach. No idea what these fish are though. But the guy who caught the fish was guarding it and was quite concerned when I took interest in his dinner. 


Okay, I thought that this beach was quieter than what I'm used to... until I saw a curious sight: There's an airplane parked on the beach! The plane's turbines have been removed and the plane's identifying marks have already been painted over, it seems. How it ended up on the beach and what it will be transformed became talking points with the manager of the Air de Jeux Plage Erevan where the plane is located. This Cotonou beach has just become a more interesting place! 


A few metres from the plane, there were huts that people could rent, to find shelter from the sun when it's at its hottest. I haven't seen huts like this back home so I'm curious whether these provide basic necessities or come with techie creature comforts (the features that draw the city-dwellers back home). I tend to hope towards basic necessities... come on, if I were on the beach, I'd like to be off the grid for a few hours.


Beach bumming in Cotonou wasn't as busy as I imagined it would be. It's a time for relaxation and peaceful rumination. I enjoyed walking along this stretch of sand. It's a far cry from the crowded coast in Manila (where everyone gets a front row seat to the famous Manila Bay sunset). But the water is intimidating, unlike the seaside I've grown accustomed to in Anilao.
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